If you live in the country, the chance’s you’ll like a dark horse such as the Subaru Forester. It is an all-time four-wheel-drive model with good ground clearance, carries and tows a lot but it’ll not cost you an arm and leg like most 4WD or SUVs. The Subaru Forester also comes with something rivals clamour, rarity value. You are unlikely to see as many … [Read more...]
Newcomers 28 February
BMW is offering 625hp 4.4V8 engines in its latest X5M Competition and X6M Competition SUVs from this spring. They respectively cost £123,350 and £126,050 and get a wider range of driver assistance systems as standard including adaptive suspension, AWD and active differentials. … [Read more...]
Weekend roadtest: Skoda Kodiaq SE L Executive
As motoring costs escalate one brand which has widened its appeal is Skoda. From being the one time cheap if not cheerful car range, Skoda can now add a smile to choice, particularly for families who appreciate value for money. With SUVs the mainstay of sales in Britain and Europe thanks to their versatility, the very capable Skoda Kodiaq does a fine job … [Read more...]
Weekend roadtest: Skoda Enyaq Coupe iV vRS
As day follows night it was inevitable that Skoda would not only enter the burgeoning electric vehicle market but would bring to it something a bit different, a bit sporty. It has an impressive record among rallying and racing drivers and enthusiasts and any Skoda carrying the vRS badge is always a bit special. Enter the Enyaq vRS Coupe. The Enyaq EV … [Read more...]
Weekend roadtest: Genesis GV70 2.5T AWD
In a year which saw Britain’s new car market bump along and end up way below expectations, Genesis has provided a head-turning performance building on exclusivity and service which most manufacturers cannot match. Genesis is the premium brand of Hyundai, which includes KIA, and has been on USA sale for a decade so they are not newcomers to the market but … [Read more...]
First drive: Mazda CX-60 SUV
The new Mazda CX-60 now going on sale is the most powerful model ever from the company. The range-topping SUV is Mazda's first plug-in hybrid and it combines their acclaimed Skyactiv-G 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine with a 100 kW electric motor and a 17.8 kWh high-capacity battery. Together these produce 327ps and use an eight-speed automatic … [Read more...]
Weekend roadtest: Toyota GR Yaris
The World Rally Championship is all about clipping seconds off your competitors, but the Toyota GR Yaris took years off me. Built to permit the company to take part in motor-sport’s toughest rally series and winning in 2018, the GR Yaris is probably the closest a driver will come to sitting in one of the actual WRC cars. For those of a certain age, or … [Read more...]
Weekend roadtest: Honda CR-V 2.0i MMD AWD hybrid
Honda tends to hide its qualities very well, which probably explains why it may not be the first go-to brand for an SUV, and that would be a mistake for any motorist to make. Korean, German and British brands tend to hog the limelight and sales in this section of the market but the reality is the Honda CR-V can hold its own against some better-known names … [Read more...]
Weekend roadtest: Lexus NX450h + Takumi PHEV
Lexus has come a long way in a short time with its luxury compact SUV NX450h+. Launched in 2014, the Lexus NX range brought a new player into the compact luxury crossover sector and it made significant inroads before being replaced in 2021, but it’s still based on the latest Toyota RAV4 platform with refinements to the suspension. And that's no bad … [Read more...]
Weekend roadtest: Kia EV6 GT Line S 77.4kWh AWD
It’s official, Kia’s new generation pure-electric EV6 is the top-performing Car of the Year 2022. Earlier this month it beat 60 other new cars, electric and with internal combustion engines, to the coveted CoTY award judged by 59 motoring journalists from 22 European countries. It is the first Kia to win the internationally acclaimed award and set a very … [Read more...]
